Raising Funds Through Social Media to Subsidise Cervical Cancer Screening with HPV Testing in Rural Ghana-The Battor Experience.

ABSTRACT

Over 260,000 women die yearly from cervical cancer, mostly in low and middle-income countries. Molecular testing for high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is now the method of choice for cervical cancer screening. A limiting factor for HPV testing, however, is the cost in setting up and running the tests. Our objective was to reduce the cost of cervical cancer screening to rural folk by absorbing the initial cost of setting up. Crowdfunding was done through WhatsApp© and mobile money transfer. Individuals pledged amounts ranging from United States of America dollars ($) 2.6 to $3,769.2 (median = $25.6, Inter Quartile Range (IQR) = $12.8 to $38.5). Over four months $15,153 was raised to purchase the initial equipment for an HPV-based cervical cancer screening program. Crowdfunding is possible through a combination of WhatsApp© and mobile money transfer in low-resource settings. It obviates the need to organize gatherings requiring a budget and enables donors to become fundraisers.